Super Rugby 2012 preview: Brumbies
Roar Guru By Elisha Pearce, 20 Feb 2012 Elisha Pearce is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Brumbies, Rugby Union, Super Rugby
As old mate Bob Dylan once wrote, “he not busy being born, is busy dying.” Last season, while Super Rugby’s newest franchise was being born in Melbourne, Australia’s most successful franchise was busy dying.
With the implosion of the 2011 Brumbies and the subsequent departure of Wallabies Matt Giteau, Rocky Elsom, Adam Ashley–Cooper, and several coaches, the calls of “Bring out your dead” have been matched in true Monty Python tradition with shouts from Canberra of, “We’re not dead!”
Enter former Springbok World Cup winning coach Jake White, with a little help from the Brumbies alumni in the shape of Stephen Larkham, former Brumbies coach Laurie ‘ Billy Connelly” Fisher, and George Gregan.
Former Wallabies and current Japan coach, Eddie Jones gets a piece of the pie as a consultant. So, the Brumbies find themselves being rehabilitated, re-coached, re-sponsored, re-financed, re-structured, revived and alas re-born.
In the front row Wallabies Ben Alexander and Stephen Moore will be attempting to keep the new and inexperienced crop of youngsters from going backwards, but their workload will need to be assisted by the men around them.
Former Waratah lock Ben Mowen looks like he will captain the team. There is some tall timber in the shape of local product Sam Carter and former Bay of Plenty forward Leon Power, both of whom stand at 200cm.
In the backs the honest and uncompromising Pat McCabe will be called on to take the ball to the line and more, particularly on the counter attack. Hopefully he will be doing that from the wing or fullback position rather than inside centre, a role he was unmercifully called upon to fill (for reasons known only to Robbie Deans) during the Wallabies’ failed World Cup campaign.
He will be ably assisted by the promising Matt Toomua at fly-half, exciting young centre Robbie Coleman, former Western Force and Australian 7s centre Zack Holmes and the flying Henry Speight on the wing.
These talented players should develop well under the guidance of Stephen Larkham who will try to get his backline to emulate the free-flowing style produced by the Brumbies of old. It will take time.
This Brumbies fans will find themselves using clichés such as “We’re in a rebuilding phase.” That will all come from the senior players, coaching staff and management first though. It’s all true but it’s small compensation for the many fans wanting their team to return to the glory days.
The Brumbies will win a few games that they were not expected to win and undoubtedly play with the pride, courage and enthusiasm that one would expect from a young team. Hopefully under White they will be a happy group and bring back their fans with some attractive rugby.
Their supporters deserve it.
The killer is that depth of talent, playing standards and experience are all required to do well in this, the toughest of provincial competitions. Over the years there have been few surprise successes.
There will be few surprises, if any, from the Canberra based franchise. The Brumbies will continue to struggle. At this stage they simply don’t have the players.
However they have been reborn and at least they are breathing. Now they must grow quickly.
Fearless Predictions
Australian Conference: fifth
Overall Competition: Making up the numbers
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- Brumbies, Rugby Union, Super Rugby
February 20th 2012 @ 9:58am
sheek said | February 20th 2012 @ 9:58am | Report comment
Beautifully descriptive opening paragraph…..!
February 20th 2012 @ 10:51am
mudskipper said | February 20th 2012 @ 10:51am | Report comment
I expect the Brumbies to surprise in 2012 and come in the top 3 in their conference… Whats hasn’t been receognised is the Brumbies did a lot of growing last year regardless of difficult times with players such as McCabe, Lealiifano, Speight, Toomua, Palmer, Carter and Nic White. What you will see in 2012 from the Brumbies this year is a team which plays as a group not as individuals…
Furthermore, If you look closely all Australian sides have limited depth, especially the Rebels and Force… The Tahs have already a line up at the local medicos on Macquarie street and the Reds I expect to be found out this season without Cooper…
Go the Brumbies…
February 22nd 2012 @ 12:17am
pjbreck said | February 22nd 2012 @ 12:17am | Report comment
yes i like your analysis, this team could just click and they will belt opposition. I still say, treat the ball like it is the last time you will ever have it, do that and thwy will win more than they lose. All i ask is to give me commitment. Commitment to the team and more importantly to us fans.
February 20th 2012 @ 2:03pm
jameswm said | February 20th 2012 @ 2:03pm | Report comment
I expect Leali’ifano, Hooper and Palmer to all really come on this year.
But front row aside, the forwards look soft and the backs lack firepower.
If jake can get them to a conference 3rd, he’s done well. Having said that, beating the Force and rebels might not be a huge achievement.
February 22nd 2012 @ 12:18am
pjbreck said | February 22nd 2012 @ 12:18am | Report comment
Completely agree, i really rate Toomua….
February 20th 2012 @ 2:04pm
Rhys said | February 20th 2012 @ 2:04pm | Report comment
The brumbies will be arguably the fittest side in the comp. they were in preseason training well before most other teams. Add to this that they will be close to, if not the, most youthful team in the comp, this hopefully means that we will be still running the ball at other teams in the last 20 when they start to wear out.
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February 21st 2012 @ 7:52am
mania said | February 21st 2012 @ 7:52am | Report comment
age has nothing to do with fitness/stamina. age effects speed and strength. as u get older you get slower, post 25 y.o. but your strength increases until your early-mid 30′s
being younger may work against them as other players have been conditioned in superRugby for 3+ seasons
saying that tho youthfull enthusiasm counts for a lot if there are leaders on the field to lead the way.
February 22nd 2012 @ 9:24am
AussieKiwi said | February 22nd 2012 @ 9:24am | Report comment
Not saying you are wrong about the age for losing speed, but I seem to recall a lot of elite sprinters have peaked in their 30s? That Jamaican woman Merle Ottie (sp?) was the most extreme example, I think she won silver in the olympic 200m in her late 30s, and came fourth in the Sydney 2000 100m at the age of 40(!!). Also Linford CHristie and a few others were successful up to their late 30s?
February 20th 2012 @ 3:01pm
Jay said | February 20th 2012 @ 3:01pm | Report comment
I suspect they’ll finish ahead of either the Force or the Rebels and possibly both. Will be good to see how Toomua and Lealiifano this year without Gits running the show.
Most of all I’m hoping for no more David Lord articles about anything related to the Brumbies.
February 22nd 2012 @ 8:11am
David Lord said | February 22nd 2012 @ 8:11am | Report comment
The Brumbies don’t deserve any.
February 20th 2012 @ 5:49pm
SAMURAI said | February 20th 2012 @ 5:49pm | Report comment
I reckon Vaea will have a big season, he was pretty impressive for a rookie last season and his size and power comes in pretty handy.
February 20th 2012 @ 6:13pm
Markus said | February 20th 2012 @ 6:13pm | Report comment
They’ve been playing Vaea at openside through the pre-season. I’m not sure if that’s an indication he’ll be starting there over Hooper or if he will be covering all backrow positions from the bench, as it’s pretty obvious Mowen will be starting at number 8.
February 21st 2012 @ 11:50am
ilikedahoodoogurusingha said | February 21st 2012 @ 11:50am | Report comment
It looks like he is playing at 7 this week to try and neutralise Pocock by being extremely physical at the breakdown. Whether it works or not we shall see!
February 22nd 2012 @ 11:57am
Brett McKay said | February 22nd 2012 @ 11:57am | Report comment
Markus, Guru, they’re set today to name Kimlin, Vaea, and Mowen in one of the biggest Brumbies backrows I can remember. No prizes for guessing where and how they intend to play the game..
February 22nd 2012 @ 12:40pm
Markus said | February 22nd 2012 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
That backrow definitely have the size to remove Pocock and Hodgson from the breakdown contest, let’s just hope they bring the physicality necessary to do so.
I’m actually thinking having Vaea at 6 and Hooper at 7 working in tandem would be a good combination. With Hooper bringing the technique and Vaea the physicality, it could be very similar to the Brussouw and Juan Smith combination the Cheetahs used to great success.
Perhaps this is an option for the second half, after subbing out Hand or Power and moving Kimlin to lock.
February 22nd 2012 @ 3:32pm
pjbreck said | February 22nd 2012 @ 3:32pm | Report comment
But is this the right choice. I do like all 3 but we need to remember RWC2011 Wallabies V Ireland and what happened when we didn’t play a specialist No.7?
February 23rd 2012 @ 12:29pm
Bakkies said | February 23rd 2012 @ 12:29pm | Report comment
Ireland didn’t pick an openside either. Didn’t work for them against Wales though. The Force have a completely different style of play to the Welsh and don’t have O’Connor and Shepherd to catch teams from turnovers.
February 20th 2012 @ 7:44pm
Ginger said | February 20th 2012 @ 7:44pm | Report comment
Don’t presume Mowen is playing at the 8 – he doesn’t control the scrums like Vaea does, just look at the scrum penalties last trial. Glad that the Brums are skilling Vaea up in the 7 also. A team to be watching in 2012
February 20th 2012 @ 10:59pm
gatesy said | February 20th 2012 @ 10:59pm | Report comment
Just can’t see them finishing below the Force, unless Richard Graham is really foxing it. The Rebels are a totally unknown quantity, but I still think the Brumbies can finish on top of them. That leaves the Waratahs – maybe they will implode with all of their injuries and let;s not forget – THEY’VE GOT ROCKY!! – God help em!
So, I reckon the Brumbies are a reasonable chance of finishing 3rd in the conference, and might sneak 2nd
February 22nd 2012 @ 12:19am
pjbreck said | February 22nd 2012 @ 12:19am | Report comment
LOL yes Rocky, for gods sake, he is a liability!
February 21st 2012 @ 1:02pm
PeterK said | February 21st 2012 @ 1:02pm | Report comment
Agree that Force look the weakest in the aussie conference.
Rebels and Brumbies are about even, so a real tussle for 3rd.
Reds should finish 1st with the player quality of depth over the tahs, who have a few of best players out for most / half of the season.
February 21st 2012 @ 3:08pm
Bushranger said | February 21st 2012 @ 3:08pm | Report comment
Larkham, Gregan, Fisher, Jones – same old, same old.